While the active ingredients are different, both produce about 4000 chemicals that are identical.

Cannabis requires longer, deeper, larger volume than cigarettes resulting in a fivefold increase of carboxyhemoglobin (the measure of the amount of Carbon Monoxide which has been absorbed into the blood stream). The products of combustion from cannabis are thus retained to a much higher degree.

More specifically:

Cannabis is associated with higher incidences of mental illness, particularly schizophrenia and depression.

The potency of the main ingredient in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol, has increased from 0.05% to .5% and Nederweed (from the Netherlands) is at 10-11%. No one is bothering to look at the increased tar content.

Marijuana and its relationship to bullous lung disease in youths, click here.

The link between marijuana and lung problems, while still unclear, deserves a great deal more attention:

Marijuana smoke contains many of the same constituents as tobacco smoke,6 but it is unclear whether smoking marijuana causes pulmonary damage similar to that caused by tobacco. Prior studies of marijuana smokers have demonstrated consistent evidence of airway mucosal injury and inflammation7 – 9 as well as increased respiratory symptoms such as cough, phlegm production, and wheeze, similar to that seen in tobacco smokers.10 – 12 However, analyses of pulmonary function and lung disease have failed to detect clear adverse effects of marijuana use on pulmonary function.10 – 13 It is possible that cumulative damage to the lungs from years of marijuana use could be masked by short-term effects; prior analyses have not attempted to disentangle these factors. Smoking marijuana is increasingly common in the United States,14 and understanding whether it causes lasting damage to lung function has important implications for public health messaging and medical use of marijuana.15 – [JAMA Network]

Ironically, I picked up the paper this morning to find a story about a 17 year-old boy driving while high on marijuana who crashed his car and killed his four friends. He is now facing 25 years to life in jail.

People like to bring up alcohol and tobacco as being worse for one’s health. Does that mean we should allow something to be legalized that might be bad as well, especially knowing the deleterious effects it has on youth? At least this is illegal and we can keep it that way. We need a lot more information on cannabis.

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